A law firm representing passengers onboard Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which was forced to make an emergency landing January 5 after a door detached midflight, has filed a lawsuit against Boeing aircraft company for negligence.
Flight 1282 — a Boeing 737 Max 9 — took off from the western U.S. city of Portland, Oregon, a week ago headed for Ontario, California, with 171 passengers and six crew members on board. Shortly after takeoff, the plane experienced a "critical failure," as a left-side door plug detached mid-flight, leading to rapid depressurization of the cabin.
Witnesses say the loss of the door panel left a "gaping hole" in the side of the plane, but it was able to return to Portland. None of the 171 passengers or six crew on board were seriously injured, but many were shaken by the experience.
The incident prompted U.S. regulators to ground 171 Max 9 planes for inspections.
In a press release, one of the lawyers representing the passengers, attorney Daniel Laurence from the Stritmatter law firm, said their clients are seeking unspecified "fair compensation for their injuries and those of all other passengers" for the economic, physical and ongoing emotional consequences of the experience.
The lawsuit was filed in a Seattle court.
Also Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration — the FAA — announced what it called "new and significant actions" designed to increase the regulator's oversight of Boeing's production and manufacturing practices regarding the grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 planes.
In a statement, the FAA said the actions include an audit of the plane's production line to evaluate for the manufacturer's compliance with FAA quality procedures, and increased monitoring of the plane's "in-service" events.
In the statement, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said the grounding of the planes, as well as "multiple production-related issues identified in recent years, require us to look at every option to reduce risk."
The FAA action Friday comes a day after the agency announced an investigation to determine if Boeing failed to ensure completed products conformed to its approved design and were in a condition for safe operation in compliance with FAA regulations.
Some information for this story was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters.
